Review: "Executive Koala" (2005)

To say that “Executive Koala” is bizarre would be an understatement. It is definitely in its own cinematic realm. I don’t think I’ve ever come across a movie as absurd and goofy as “Executive Koala” but it warrants a viewing precisely for those reasons, not to mention that it’s eye-poppingly entertaining.

“Executive Koala” opens up by introducing us to Mr. Tamura, a hardworking executive for a pickle manufacturer. He labors long hours devising a business plan to build the company’s market share via a partnership with a Korean kimchi producer. A typical Japanese salary man, Tamura spends most of his time in the office, slaving away with spreadsheets and chatting up the company president. He’s divorced but has a cute girlfriend named Yoko that he hardly spends any time with. Oh, did I forget to mention the minor detail that Tamura is a 6 ft. tall koala? None of the other humans in his world seem to notice this fact – on the contrary, the office ladies find Tamura rather hot, though a bit on the furry side.

Suddenly his girlfriend is found stabbed to death and Tamura is at the center of a police investigation that digs up some unsavory bits on his past. Is he not the cuddly and sweet koala that everyone thinks he is? Prone to memory lapses and blackouts, Tamura seeks the assistance of the company president (who’s a white rabbit by the way) and his human shrink to solve the mystery of his girlfriend’s murder.

To describe the plot in any more detail would be pointless. Suffice it to say that what starts out as a psychological thriller segues to something increasingly bizarre with each new scene. There’s a hint of a slasher horror flick which then transitions to a delightful musical interlude. This is then followed by a prison drama that morphs into a kung-fu showdown at the local game arcade where humans and animals alike possess supernatural powers of resurrection after being repeatedly thrown against hard metal objects. Threading through all these transitions is a love story between human and koala, the likes of which have never been seen (and likely never will be) on the big screen.

Make no mistake. This is a weird, weird movie even by Japanese standards. But if you can subdue the left-brained tendency toward understanding and analysis (a few drinks before watching may help), you’ll be rewarded with something completely different that’s never boring and curiously amusing.